Ah, the art of contouring. It’s a beauty technique that has been used by the stars to craft and sculpt their features for the red carpet and beyond. It’s a liberating and empowering feeling to be able to confidently control and manage the appearance of your facial structure and complexion – not to mention how it can dramatically enhance features such as your cheekbones, nose, brows, and even your jawline. Sodive in, learn the basics of the art of contouring, and add a polished touch to your beauty routine.
1. Shaping a New You: Understanding the Basics of Contouring
Are you looking to become a contour master? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll show you the basics of contouring, so you can take your look to the next level!
What is Contouring? Contouring is the process of creating light and shade to define, shape and add depth to the face. Contouring is used to create shadows that can make certain areas of your face appear more structured. It is a great way to experiment with shaping your features and enhance your natural beauty.
Tools and Products to Use When it comes to contouring, you should pick up a few special tools such as a good quality brush and brow filler. When choosing products to use, it is important to choose the right colours and types of makeup to use to avoid creating an unnatural effect. You want to opt for lighter shades of foundation, pressed powder, bronzer, and blush to create natural looking shadows and depth.
Understanding Face Shapes Before you get started, it is important to understand the shape of your face. Different face shapes need to be contoured differently so it is a good idea to identify your own face shape before you start contouring. For example, if you have a round face, you would need to contour the sides of your face with a lighter shade of foundation to elongate your face.
How to Apply Contour
- Start by using a brush to define where the contour should be applied.
- Apply a matte pressed powder or contouring powder to the areas which should be shaded.
- Blend the powder upward and outward to create a soft look.
- Use a clean brush to blend the product into your skin.
- Apply a bronzer or blush to add warmth and dimension to your contour.
- Use a highlighting product to emphasize areas of the face that you would like to stand out.
- Finish off with setting spray to ensure your contour stays in place all day!
Now you have a better understanding of the basics of contouring! As long as you take the time to practice and experiment with different techniques and products, you will be able to achieve a beautiful contoured look that will enhance your natural features!
2. Perfecting that Picture-Perfect Look: Tips for Contouring Like a Pro
Are you looking to take your makeup routine to the next level? With contouring, you can sculpt your features to accent your natural beauty. With a few patience and tips, you can easily master the perfect contouring look. Here’s how!
Choose the Right Products
Choosing the right beauty products is essential for every beauty enthusiast. For contouring, creams of a darker shade than your natural skin color are best. Creams work to give off an effortless contouring look, that won’t be too overpowering. For powder, select shades between two to three tones deeper than your skin color. Once you have your products selected, you’ll need the right tools to apply.
Invest in the Right Tools
For a flawless, expert contouring look, investing in the right makeup tools is a must. Try using a makeup brush with densely-packed bristles for cream products, as this will give a more natural finish. For powders, use a large, dome-shaped brush for optimal coverage. Finally, make sure you have a damp beauty blender or sponge handy, to blend products in seamlessly.
Map Out Your Face
Mapping out your face is a crucial step in perfecting a contour. Begin by applying base makeup to even out your complexion. Next, use a light shade of concealer or foundation to mark the areas that need highlighting. The areas should include the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, chin and the center of your cheeks. Finish by marking the contouring areas with darker concealer.
Contour Away!
Now that you have the foundation set up, it’s time to begin contouring! Start by applying your darker products to the areas you marked. Use a light hand when blending and feathering the product into your skin for a more natural look. Here is a general guide for application:
- Hollows of your cheeks
- Outer edges of your forehead and temples
- Along the hairline and jawline
- Side of the nose
- Under eye area and jawline
Once your contouring is complete, you can begin highlighting with the lighter product. Apply the product to the highlighted areas you marked off earlier and blend together. You should now have a perfect, picture-ready contoured look!
3. Defining Your Facial Features: Contouring Strategies and Techniques
Contouring is one of the most popular beauty techniques around, and there’s a lot that goes into it! Whether you’re just starting out with contouring, or you’re an experienced beauty enthusiast, taking the time to define your facial features with some strategic contouring can help you get that perfect look. Here, we’ll look at some of the best contouring strategies and techniques for bringing out your best features.
Understanding the Basics
- Start with a light foundation or concealer that matches your skin tone
- Add a darker color to the hollows of your cheekbones, temples, and jawline
- Blend the darker color with a brush or makeup sponge
- Dust a brush with a highlighter and apply to the high points of your face (middle of forehead, cupid’s bow, bridge of your nose, middle of your chin)
Identifying Your Facial Shape
Before you get started with contouring, it’s important to identify your facial shape. Many people have a combination of shapes, but one style will usually be more dominant. Knowing your facial shape can help you create a more natural-looking contour, so take the time to figure out what best describes your face.
- Round Faces: A round face shape usually has fuller cheeks and a curved chin, creating a soft oval shape
- Oval Faces: An oval face shape is longer than it is wide, and the cheekbones are usually the widest part of the face
- Square Faces: A square face shape has a strong jawline that is usually wider than the forehead
- Heart-Shaped Faces: Heart-shaped faces are wider at the forehead and taper off to a narrow chin
Getting the Perfect Contour
Once you know the shape of your face, it’s time to get to contouring! To create a sharp, angled contour, you’ll want to use a matte bronzer or contour powder, and a fluffy blending brush. Start by applying the bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks, temples, and jawline, and blending outward to create a shadow effect. If you want to create a softer look, use a cream contour with a flat top kabuki brush.
Highlighting Wisely
Highlighting is an important part of the contouring process. With a highlighting powder, cream, or blush, and a fan brush, apply the product to the high points of your face to create a natural, dewy look. You can also use a shimmering highlight to add a touch of glimmer to your look.
Tweaking Your Contour
Once you’ve gotten the basics of your contour down, you can always tweak your look. If you want a more dramatic contour, apply a darker contour shade to your cheeks and jawline and use a smaller brush to blend it out. Or if you want a softer look, brush the bronzer across the entire area and use a fluffy brush to blend it out.
4. Enhancing Your Natural Beauty: Our Top Contouring Tips and Tricks
Are you looking for the best contouring tips and tricks to enhance your natural beauty and create a stunning makeup look? Here is our guide to achieve an amazing contoured face in no time.
1. Prep your face
The first step is to prep your face for contouring. Cleanse and moisturize your skin. For a better base, use primer or mattifying cream. Make sure to pick the foundation according to your skin type and desired finish. One way to reduce any shine is to powder over your face after applying foundation.
2. Create Definition
The trick is to use different shades of makeup to create definition. To create shadows, use a matte bronzer or dark brown shade to draw triangles under the cheekbones and a shade that matches with your forehead along your temples to create triangle shapes there. Apply a cream highlighter on the top of your cheekbones, centre of forehead, centre of chin, bridge of nose, and cupid’s bow. For best results, use a brush to blend it out.
3. Create Dimension
To create dimension, apply a soft blush on the apple of the cheeks with a light hand, and then apply bronzer along the perimeter of the face and blend it. This will help you create a complete sculpted look and blend in your skin with the contour.
4. Enhance Features
To emphasize features such as eyes, nose, and lips, apply lighter shades. For the eyes, use eye shadow to create subtle shadows in the sockets. To slim the nose, use a matte cream color on its edges. For your lips, use a natural lip liner and a lip gloss for a natural flushed look.
5. Set your Look
The last step is setting your look with a setting spray or powder. This will help blend everything and set it in place for several hours.
By using these contouring tips, you can craft the look of your dreams! You’ll be able to create dimension and drama to your makeup look like a professional makeup artist. Contouring is an incredibly powerful tool to help you rise mode with confidence and poise. Have fun experimenting and discovering the newest look for you.
